When Things Come Undone
by NELLIEBOO14
Summary: Harry thought living a lie would be easy, but without love what is a marriage? He thinks all hope is lost until he reunites with a certain blond-haired Slytherin. Will love spawn from this new union or is Harry destined to be alone forever? Eventual H/D.
1. Chapter 1: Living A Lie

**Author Note: **Hello all! This is my second attempt at writing an H/D fanfic (the first one kinda fell off). But in any event I am ready get this show on the road. And hopefully finish this time. Enjoy!

**Summary: **Harry thought living a lie would be easy, but without love what is a marriage? He thinks all hope is lost until he reunites with a certain blond-haired Slytherin. Will love spawn from this new union or is Harry destined to be alone forever? Eventual H/D.

**Disclaimer:** I in no way own Harry Potter, although I wish I did. I give all the credit to the genius of J.K. Rowling.

* * *

Marriage is hard and not in the typically dysfunctional way we are accustomed to. We see the families that appear to have it all put together so nicely, but that's only an outsiders perspective. Things come undone behind closed doors. The stitches that were once holding everything together dissolve like sugar crystals in boiling water and even though you should be terrified that your life is falling to pieces, you are so acquainted with the misery that all you feel is numbness. And no matter how many times you convince yourself that you deserve to be happy, you remember the image you are trying to uphold for your children, your family, your friends, and all those other people that you could care less about but still seem to hang onto your every word. This is the never ending battle of reality versus fantasy, and realism always wins out. So, you continue to ask yourself the same question: "Is this really worth it?" and every time, you come up with the same answer: "I have no choice".

* * *

After another grueling day at the Ministry office, Harry Potter unlocked the door to his immaculate home only to be assaulted by a very small, but surprisingly strong, pair of arms around his kneecaps. Lily Potter's large green eyes were staring up into her father's startled orbs of the same color, an enormous smile plastered on her cherubic face.

"Daddy you're home!" she squealed, emphasizing her excitement by squeezing her father's knees even harder.

Harry couldn't help but smile despite the slight pain of his kneecaps pressing together. Lily had the power to turn his most stressful days into brighter ones.

"Yes, sweetie, Daddy is home and he is so very happy to see you." Harry replied, releasing Lily's arms from his sore knees and placing her on his hip. Even at 9 years old, Harry couldn't stop himself from coddling her. She was growing up fast and he had to spend every moment he had showering her with love before she grew too old to acknowledge him. That meant Lily got whatever she wanted. With just a simple bat of her long lashes, she had Harry eating out of the palm of her hand.

"How was your day today, Daddy?" Lily asked as Harry carried her from the foyer into the kitchen.

"My day was great!" Harry lied. "Daddy was busy today with a lot of paperwork but you have just made everything so much better." Truthfully, Lily's presence really did brighten Harry's day, but any day as Chief of the Auror Department was a day in hell. Piles and piles of cases that needed to be signed, sorted, and filed away were still lying in his office. He had barely gotten through a third of them before Ron came by to drop off another batch. Even his apologetic expression did nothing to make Harry want to throttle him any less.

"I'm glad I could make you feel better." Lily said beaming. "Mommy and I went shopping today in Diagon Alley. You want to see what I bought?" she asked excitedly.

"Ah. So your mother was out spending my hard earned money again, was she?" Harry said, slightly failing to hide his disdain.

"So this is how you speak of me when I'm not around, is it?" Ginny Potter-Weasley replied, arms folded and eyebrow raised at her husband as she sauntered into the kitchen. She had become remarkably stunning as she grew older. Her hair was still the same fiery Weasley red it had been back at Hogwarts, but now cut into a sleek and modern shoulder length bob with a feathered bang. She wore an emerald green sundress with a pair of yellow stilettos and yellow diamond earrings that resembled sunflowers. In any event, Ginny was gorgeous.

"No sweetheart. I also speak this way when you are around." Harry replied with a cheeky grin. He hated to go back-and-forth with Ginny this way in front of Lily, but it was damned hard to cope with her attitude sometimes.

"Charming." Ginny stated sarcastically. "Lily darling, why don't you go get your new things from your bedroom so you can show Daddy." Ginny said, pasting on a beaming smile to ease the tense atmosphere.

"OK Mommy." Lily said, oblivious to the tension between her parents.

As soon as Lily was out of earshot, Harry and Ginny turned to face each other, eyes glaring. They hadn't always been this way. Once upon a time, they were actually in love. The "newlywed phase" is what they call it nowadays. Then, it was obvious that they were made for one another. You couldn't see one without seeing the other and the gleam in their eyes when they caught sight of each other across a room was intense enough to make your breath hitch. Harry and Ginny loved each other more than anything else in the world, but after the first few months of marriage things began to change. Harry got promoted and was spending less and less time at home with Gin. Ginny became lonelier and lonelier the less Harry was around. Saving the lives of strangers became more important than sustaining a relationship with his wife and she strayed. She met some nice French bloke that was vacationing in Britain, one thing led to another, and let's just say they frequented a few hotel rooms. It wasn't until Harry just so happened to be meeting with a client at the Black Swan Hotel that he noticed his wife across the lobby. Obviously confused about why Gin was following him, he was shocked to discover that it wasn't him she was there to see, but François. It took all he had not to storm over in a jealous rage and hex them both into next century, but he kept his composure, finished his meeting, went back home, and drank himself into oblivion. That night, when Gin came home, Harry was waiting for her. To say the least Ginny was more than surprised to find her husband home and drunk.

_FLASHBACK_

"_Harry, honey. I didn't see you sitting there." Ginny uttered, slightly flustered from shock. She walked into the living room where Harry was sitting on the sofa nursing a rather large glass of Brandy._

"_I bet you didn't see me sitting in a lot of places today, sweetie." Harry replied, his speech slightly slurred and heavily sarcastic._

"_What are you talking about?" Gin asked, growing more and more nervous by the second. There was no way that Harry could know what she had been at the hotel tonight, right?_

"_I saw you, Gin." Harry said, emptying his glass and placing it on the coffee table. He attempted to stand, stumbled a little, but managed to remain upright. He slowly began to walk towards Ginny. With every step he took forward, she took one backward until her back was pressed against the living room wall and Harry was standing close enough that she could smell the alcohol on his breath._

"_I saw you tonight at the hotel with a man; a man who wasn't me!" He yelled, slamming his hand into the wall inches from Ginny's head. She jumped, startled and afraid. She started to panic. What was she going to do? He knew. He knew that she had been unfaithful and there was nothing she could do about it. Ginny looked up into Harry's unfocused eyes as tears ran down her face._

"_I am so sorry." She said, the tears suffocating her speech. "You weren't around and I was out doing some shopping and I ran into François about a month ago and he was charming and sweet. At first, he was just a friend. Someone to talk to while you were at the Ministry for hours on end. But things quickly became physical and I was feeling so lonely and unwanted that I gave in. I felt horrible about it. I mean, how could I do that to the one person that I love more than anything?"_

"_Yeah, well I'm asking myself the same damned question. How could you do this to me, Gin? I trusted you and you threw it all away for a quick fuck with a guy that probably won't even remember your name when he goes back to wherever the hell he came from. Don't you see, Ginny? He was using you!" Harry fumed, pacing the room. If he wasn't careful, his magic would go bonkers and ruin the entire room, maybe even the whole house. He needed to calm down, but what was a man to do when he found out his wife had been sleeping with someone else for more than a month? Surely, he wasn't expected to take this lightly. In an act of desperation, he screamed a deep, guttural cry of anguish and punched a hole through the wall. Thankfully, this time it was far away from Ginny's head._

"_Harry, baby, you need to calm down." Ginny pleaded. She had never seen Harry this angry before and frankly, it was scaring the crap out of her. In hindsight, Ginny would've thought this unwise, but in that moment she decided that what Harry needed most was comfort. _

_Bad idea. _

_As Ginny walked towards Harry, speaking softly and soothingly, saying "Everything is going to be fine" and "We will get through this", Harry grew angrier and angrier. By the time Ginny had reached him, he had become so angry that when she touched his shoulder, he swung back viciously and landed a hand to her face that sent her flying onto the sofa. Both of them stood there in shock. Ginny holding her rapidly bruising cheek and Harry glaring at her without an ounce of remorse in his eyes. She didn't know whether it was the Brandy, his anger, or a combination of both, but from that day forward Harry would never be the same._

"_Don't you dare touch me, you whore." Harry bit out, stinging Ginny to the core. "No, everything is not going to be fine. You cheated on me, Gin. In case you haven't noticed, that is not something that you do when you are married! I can't believe I walked around for a month and didn't know that you were sleeping around. Well, you know what? I have had it with your lies and infidelities. It is obvious that this marriage isn't working. I want a divorce." Harry stated._

_At that moment, all the air rushed out of Ginny's lungs. Her life was plummeting into a dark, painful abyss and she was powerless to stop it. Harry wanted a divorce. All those years of dating and she finally gets the man of her dreams and she screws it up, no pun intended._

"_Harry, you aren't thinking straight. Please, don't do this." She pleaded, standing from the sofa and tentatively walking toward him. "I know I fucked up, Harry, but we have to at least try and work things out. We can't throw a 5 year relationship down the drain just because I made one mistake. Yes, it was probably the worst thing I could've done to you, but I promise it will never happen again." She cried, tears freely falling from her eyes. Harry just stood there, taking it all in. Could he get past this? Ginny broke his trust and he couldn't fathom being able to trust her ever again, but shouldn't he at least consider it? They had been together for 5 years and that was a lot of history to just chalk up and throw away. _

_With a sigh, Harry looked into Ginny's hopeful eyes. "Look, Gin, I don't think I will ever be able to forgive you for this. You've made your bed and now you have to lie in it." And with that, he turned and walked away from Ginny, and his marriage. In a lasting effort to convince Harry that he was making a huge mistake, Ginny grabbed his hand. Harry pulled it away faster than a Seeker snatching the snitch . It burned to have her touch him after she had done Merlin knows what with that French bloke. Menacingly, Harry turned around to glare at Gin._

"_I told you to keep your filthy hands off of me!" He yelled, raising his hand as if to strike her again._

"_STOP! Don't hit me, please." Ginny pleaded. "You might hurt the baby."_

_Time froze. A chill went down Harry's spine as he contemplated the words that had just lefts Ginny's lips. Baby? If things weren't bad enough, now he had to live with the fact that his wife was pregnant by another man! Harry collapsed, completely dazed. Luckily there was a chair nearby and before he could crash to the floor, Ginny rushed to guide him into a seat. This time he didn't pull away._

"_Harry I was going to tell you, but I just didn't know how." Gin explained, searching for the words that would snap Harry back into reality. After a long, grueling pause, Harry finally spoke._

"_How long, Gin? How long have you known?" he asked, softly. _

"_Three weeks." She answered. "I was going to tell you, Harry, I swear."_

"_Is it his?" He asked. He was staring off into space, not even able to acknowledge Ginny's presence at the moment. He was afraid of what he might do if he allowed himself to look at her. Ginny stood there, wringing her hands, grasping for the right words._

"_IS IT HIS?" Harry yelled, finally snapping out of his stupor to look at Gin. She was terrified._

"_I don't know." She stammered finally. "I don't know Harry. It all happened so fast. When I started having symptoms, I immediately set up an appointment with a Healer. She confirmed that I was pregnant and I panicked. I didn't tell you or François for obvious reasons. It would've only complicated things."_

"_Oh and things aren't complicated now? My wife could be carrying another guy's baby! How the fuck did you think that would make me feel on top of everything else?" Harry yelled, standing from his seat, towering over Gin. She gasped and backed away clutching her abdomen._

"_I knew you would react this way. I was planning on getting a paternity test without either of you knowing. If the baby turned out to be François's then I was going to abort it, but if it was yours I was going to tell you the good news." Ginny explained._

"_Good news huh? And you were going to leave out the little detail about you cheating on me?" Harry asked, still fuming._

"_I was going to tell you eventually, I swear. I was just waiting for the right time." _

"_And when would that have been, Gin? After the baby was born? After it left for Hogwarts? After it graduated? Honestly, I don't think you would've ever told me if you could've helped it." Harry replied, pacing again._

_And with that Harry stormed from the room, leaving a distraught Ginny in his wake._

_END FLASHBACK_

After that night, things were never the same between Harry and Ginny. He resented her for what she did and she was utterly miserable at the thought of it. They grew apart more rapidly than they had anticipated. The only thing that held them together was the baby. Shockingly, and much to the relief of Gin, the baby turned out to be Harry's. His first son, James Broderick Potter, was born March 3 at a whopping 8 pounds, 2 ounces. He had the jet black unruly mane of his father but the gentle, warm brown eyes of his mother. The moment that Harry laid eyes on him, he knew that he had to keep his family together. It didn't matter that he and Gin had fallen out of love; this child deserved a stable family and home. And Harry would be damned if he gave him anything less.

* * *

"I don't want to spend any more time with you than you want to spend with me." Harry said, opening the fridge in search of a snack. He had skipped lunch that day in light of the loads of paperwork that covered his desk.

"At least we both agree on something." Ginny replied with a sarcastic smile. Harry just gave her a bored look and took a large bite from his apple.

"Where are my boys?" Harry asked, realizing for the first time that he hadn't seen James or Albus since he'd come home.

"They're out playing quidditch in the back yard." She answered. It wasn't long before a beaming James and a troubled Albus came rushing through the backdoor.

"I beat you fair and square, Al. Stop being a crybaby." James said, shoving his younger brother as he went to raid the fridge for something quenching to drink.

"I am not a crybaby!" Albus yelled. "You cheated and you know it, James."

"Speak of the little devils." Harry said, relieved that he now had better company to keep.

"I'm not a devil either, Dad." Albus replied, huffily sitting at the counter near his mother.

"And I'm not little. I'm nearly in my 3rd year at Hogwarts." James retorted, puffing his chest out with pride.

"That you are Mister Big Shot." Harry said, playfully wrapping an arm around his oldest son's neck and mussing his hair. James put up a good fight and finally removed his head from his father's death grip, unscathed and still smiling.

"What about me, Dad? I'm going to Hogwarts too in the fall." Albus declared, not wanting to be left out.

"You sure are. And that means you're growing up pretty fast Al. Before you know it you're going to be making kissy faces at girls." Harry said teasingly.

"Oi Dad. That's just gross." Albus replied, face scrunched in disgust at the thought of kissing a girl.

"I agree. And besides, the only girl you're allowed to kiss is me." Ginny stated, grabbing Al's face and proceeding to plant a massive kiss on his cheek. This time it was Albus' turn to fend off a parent. They could be downright embarrassing sometimes.

"Why don't you boys get cleaned up for dinner. I can smell you from here." Harry said, holding his nose and feigning revulsion. With that, both boys left the kitchen laughing at their father's antics. Not long after they left, Lily returned with an armful of shopping bags.

"And what is all this?" Harry asked, taking the bags from his daughter's small arms. It looked as if lugging them from her bedroom to the kitchen had really taken a toll on her.

"It's everything I bought today. I didn't think it would be so heavy until I had to haul it all from my bedroom." Lily responded, more than a little winded from her trek. Harry couldn't help but smile lovingly at his daughter.

These were the moments that he savored the most and it made putting up with Ginny worth it. He didn't know what he would do without his children; James's stubbornness and loyalty, Albus's shyness and whit, Lily's beauty and spunk. All very different and yet all equally lovable in Harry's eyes. Things would be even more perfect if his marriage wasn't fraudulent. Putting on this constant charade of perfection was taking a toll on him. He wanted to be genuinely happy to see his wife when he came home, not dreading her existence. Harry had always been a hopeless romantic. Growing up without parents and having to deal with the horrors of the Dursley household had pushed him to do anything he could to avoid that kind of life. He had always dreamed of having a loving family, tons of friends, and the perfect job. Two out of three wasn't bad, but was it enough? The honest answer was "NO". He had never dreamed that he would be married to a woman he didn't love. Though he loved her once, he no longer loved Ginny. Yes, she was beautiful, intelligent, funny, and the mother of his children, but he simply wasn't attracted to her anymore. At first he was content with just going through the motions, but now he got the feeling that he was missing out on something. He was nearly 40 years old (35 to be exact) and he didn't want the rest of his life to be a lie. He had held on to his marriage for quite some time, but now it was time to move on. Harry wanted a divorce. And he was serious this time.


	2. Chapter 2: Easier Said Than Done

Harry had thought it would've been easy to end his marriage. There was no love between him and Gin anymore. He respected her as a person and mother, but she had failed him as a wife years ago and he was never really able to forgive her for that. Sighing heavily, he packed the divorce papers into his briefcase and left his office feeling slightly gloomier than usual. He shouldn't be saddened by the idea of finally being freed from his misery, but he was. He had been so used to living the "perfect" life that now that it was ending he felt uneasy. On the bright side, his life would now be a blank canvas upon which he could paint the perfect reality. But, in the back of his mind, Harry couldn't help but think about how all of this would affect his children. They had no idea of the pain Ginny had caused him more than a decade ago and they were clueless of that fact that they had fallen out of love. What kind of example was he setting for them by leaving nearly 15 years of marriage behind? Harry was never a quitter and he hoped to instill that same quality in his children, but he also wanted to teach them to be honest. There was no way that Harry could remain married to Ginny and be honest all at once. Hypocrisy was not something he condoned.

After leaving the Ministry office and feeling the warm night air on his face, Harry realized that his children would love him no less if he divorced their mother. Yes, they would be upset, devastated even, but they couldn't hate him forever. He hoped.

Getting a case of cold feet and not wanting to face Ginny with the divorce just yet, led Harry to a remote side of Downtown Britain. There was a small pub called _The Pandora Inn _there that he frequented every now and then for a quick drink after a stressful day at work. Although, today it wasn't work that was stressing him out for once. Removing his work robe and draping it over the back of a chair at the bar, Harry sat and tried to relax his mind a little. The atmosphere of the pub always seemed to calm him, with its soft lighting and crimson and gold accents. It was completely coincidental that the signature colors of the place were identical to the Gryffindor common room. But then again, maybe that's why he liked the place so much. Harry hadn't realized how long he'd been daydreaming until he was snapped out of his reverie by Bill, the bartender.

"Hey there Harry, what can I get you tonight?" Bill asked as he wiped a few tumblers clean with the rag he always carried on his shoulder. "Wait. Let me guess. Tonight you have something heavy on your mind huh?"

"Am I that obvious?" Harry replied, a small smile playing on his lips. It was the first time he'd smiled all day.

"Either it's that or I'm really good at mind reading." Bill joked, leaning his elbows on the bar to await Harry's request.

Harry chuckled at the friendly man, always eager to chat. To anyone else he was prying, but Harry knew he was just genuinely concerned. Bill was in his mid-40s, with soft blue eyes and sandy blonde hair. He had nice, straight, white teeth and a smile that would melt any woman's heart. Harry could tell he was a ladies' man in his day.

"I'll have a Brandy, no ice." Harry said, finally.

"Good choice. You sound like you might need it." He replied walking away to pour Harry's drink.

"I'll have one of those too, Bill, if you don't mind." Someone said. It was clearly a male. The voice was too deep to be a woman's. And it was oddly familiar too, as if Harry had heard it countless times before. His curiosity got the best of him and he turned to get a good look at the stranger sitting next to him. If Harry had taken a sip of his drink at that moment he would've dramatically spewed it all over the bar. The man sitting not 2 feet away from him was none other than Draco Malfoy.

"Are you alright there…" Draco began. Harry could see on his face that he wasn't expecting to see him there. Then again, Harry wasn't expecting him either.

"Potter? Wow, I haven't seen you in ages it seems, except for in the Prophet, of course." Draco said in surprise.

"Same here, Malfoy. I hear the family business is doing quite well." Harry responded.

It should've been odd that he and Malfoy were sharing a civil conversation, but over time they had actually grown to tolerate one another. There was no more useless bickering, snarky comments, or futile glares. They had bumped into one another often at the Ministry when Harry was running errands from department to department and Draco was handling business with his associates. Even though they were no longer at each other's throats, they hadn't shared more than a few words in almost 5 years.

"Yes, it is. Business is exceptional and I have to say, the Auror department hasn't been this organized ever, I think." He complimented, with a barely visible smile.

"Thanks. That actually means a lot coming from the man who can find something wrong with everything." Harry replied teasingly. He took a healthy sip from his tumbler full of Brandy. This was going to be an interesting night, he thought.

Harry and Draco spent the remainder of the night catching up. They discussed their careers, joked about their days at Hogwarts, talked about how they moved on from the war, and cleared up any ridiculous misconceptions that the Prophet had published. It wasn't until the night was winding down and the bar was emptying that Harry was brought back to the reason he was there in the first place.

"So, how's the family?" Draco asked innocently. "I've seen countless photos of your children and wife in the papers. They all look stunning for a half Potter, half Weasley brood." Draco joked.

Harry's upbeat demeanor dropped almost immediately. How was he supposed to answer that question? Saying that everything was well would've been lying and he really didn't want to delve into the plight of his failed marriage with a man that he was barely friends with.

Harry sighed. "Honestly, Malfoy, my children are lovely. It's my wife that I'm having problems with." Harry responded, finally.

It was probably the Brandy that got him to open up to Malfoy, but he had to say that the blond haired man did make him feel quite comfortable. His eyes were somehow a softer gray, instead of harsh silver. And his hair wasn't slicked back with enough gel to catch a million flies, like he remembered it. It was much shorter, softer, and had the airy quality of silk. In the old days, he would've accused Draco of digging for information so he could plot his untimely demise, but now he genuinely felt that he was a much different man than he was all those years ago.

"That's unfortunate. It's definitely not the easiest thing to deal with. I remember when I finally realized my wife was a complete bitch." He said with a chuckle. "She was spending all of my money on unnecessary things, taking expensive trips across the world, and rarely ever spent time with our son. It was hard at first to admit it to myself, but my marriage was over. I'm not sure if you're in the same predicament as I am though. But I tell you one thing; it was the best decision of my life." He finished with a reassuring smile.

Harry smiled back, taking the last sip of his fifth glass of Brandy that night. Or was it his sixth?

"Yeah, I'm pretty much in the same place. Gin spends like no other, but she's an amazing mother. My biggest fear is that the best thing about her will change once our divorce is official. I'm not even sure how the kids with take it. How'd your son deal with it?" Harry asked.

"Scorpius? Well, being a Malfoy, he initially didn't deal with it at all. He seems to have mastered the infamous Malfoy mask at the tender age of 11." Draco joked. "But one night, I caught him crying in his bedroom and he was really upset that his mother and I weren't together any longer. It took him a while, but eventually, he understood that things had changed between us. He told me that he just wanted me to be happy and from that moment forward, I knew that I had made the right choice."

It must've been fate that brought Harry and Draco together that night. What else could explain that Malfoy appeared at the very moment in Harry's life when he had so many questions and Draco had all the answers? Harry smiled and was finally able to commit to the idea of filing for divorce. He had made up his mind that it was time to start living for himself and he would broach the topic with Ginny first thing tomorrow morning.

"Thanks, Malfoy. I really needed that. It seems that you're not so bad after all. I didn't realize until now that I needed to get you drunk for you to stop being a complete arse." Harry said. They both shared a good laugh. It felt great to let their hair down for a change.

"You're welcome, Potter. And you're not too bad yourself once you get a few drinks in you." Draco teased.

Their little meeting at the bar was finally coming to an end. After nearly 4 hours of drinking and conversing, both men were more than a little exhausted and inebriated.

"Well, it looks like it's about time we headed home." Harry said, glancing around at the nearly empty pub.

"So, it is." Draco responded, placing a small sack of galleons on the bar.

"Whoa, Malfoy, don't you think that's a little much. Besides, I can pay for my own drinks." Harry said, reaching into his robe pocket for his own sack of coins.

"Don't worry about it. This one's on me." Draco said, signaling Bill that he was on his way out. Harry waved goodbye as well and followed Malfoy out of the pub into the warm summer night's air.

"Come on, Malfoy. At least let me repay you somehow." Harry offered. He'd always felt uneasy about people spending money on him. It was probably from the many years of never receiving anything, prior to Hogwarts.

"Alright, fine Potter. How about some day next week, we meet back here at the same time and you can buy me all the drinks you want." Draco said in mock annoyance.

"Sounds good." Harry said, turning his back on Malfoy to head to an apparition point closer to home.

"Good. See you then." Draco shouted to Harry's retreating back, as he departed in the opposite direction.

* * *

The next morning, Harry awoke to the smell of pancakes and cinnamon that came wafting into his bedroom from the kitchen. He was alone in bed, which meant that Ginny was downstairs helping the children make breakfast, a usual Saturday morning ritual. A ritual that might not be possible without Ginny around, Harry thought. He was, once again, having second thoughts about divorcing Gin. He knew perfectly well that it was something he wanted, but he was still unsure about his children. He could admit that he was afraid that their relationship would change. He was afraid that they would love her more than him and he would be alone without a family at all. Ok, maybe he was being a tad bit pessimistic, but that didn't make his fears any less prominent. He took a few deep breaths to calm his nerves and did his best to push his fears aside. Besides, Malfoy had been in a similar situation and he survived, didn't he? If an ex-Death Eater from the spawn of Lucius Malfoy could come out of a divorce alright, then surely the Savior of the Wizarding World couldn't fair any worse.

"Pull yourself together, Harry." He said to himself as he climbed out of bed and made his way into the master bathroom.

After a quick shower, Harry made his way down to the kitchen to enjoy what could be the last family breakfast he would have for a while. The joy that he saw on the faces of his children literally made his heart ache, but what's done is done. And he was positive that his marriage was over.

"Well, what do we have here?" Harry asked in mock surprise, grabbing Lily and kissing her cheek.

"We're making you breakfast Daddy." Lily replied giggling.

"Well, I certainly couldn't eat this all by myself. It looks like you're all going to have to help me out." He said. Lily giggled some more and James shook his head at his father's antics. He spoiled her rotten. It was almost sickening.

"Dad, you were out late last night. You missed dinner." Albus innocently stated.

For a moment Harry was at a loss for words. He couldn't come right out and say "I had a case of cold feet about telling your mother I wanted a divorce". He didn't want them to find out just yet, for obvious reasons.

"Sorry about that kiddo. I was tied up with some stuff at work and had to meet with a client afterward." He answered, hoping that it was a good enough excuse. He had never really been good at lying. Ginny gave him a knowing look, but kept quiet and continued helping Lily make the pancakes.

"I'm sure your father didn't do it on purpose sweetie. Right, Harry?" Ginny said, eyeing Harry deliberately.

"Of course not." Harry replied simply, staring at Ginny with even more intensity.

A long, awkward silence stretched between them. It wasn't until someone broke the silence that both parents were brought back to the here-and-now.

"Alright. So, let's get those pancakes done so we can eat. I'm starved." James interrupted.

From anyone else's perspective, including Harry and Ginny's, James was blind to the fact that his parents were growing apart. He may have been only 13, but he was a pretty pensive teenager and he knew when something wasn't right. He had noticed ever since the start of the summer that something about his parents' relationship was different. They didn't share any sweet kisses like they did before. They didn't smile at one another or exchange tender touches and glances. Really, no kid wanted to see his parents being all mushy but if that meant that they loved each other, then surely he could put up with it. James didn't know how he felt about all of this. He'd thought that they would love each other forever, but clearly things had changed. He didn't know how long it had been going on or when it had all started but he feared for his family. Many of his friends at Hogwarts had to deal with their parents not being together. It didn't sound fun to have two of everything: two houses, two bedrooms, two separate lives. He wanted things to go back to the way they were before, when everyone was sickeningly happy. From the way things had been lately, he was pretty sure that his family would never be the same. He sincerely hoped he was wrong, that by some miracle he had just been imagining the tension between his mom and dad. It didn't hurt to wish, he guessed.

It was finally time to have their sacred family breakfast. The dining room table was laden with piles of pancakes, some blueberry, some cinnamon apple. There was eggs, toast, an assortment of marmalades, bacon, sausage, and a large pitcher of fresh orange juice. The grown-ups got to drink coffee and no matter how much they begged, the kids were too young to have any, although sometimes if he was lucky, Harry would secretly switch cups with James without anyone the wiser. They all ate in silence for the most part, everyone too hungry to waste time with conversation. There was the usual chit-chat here and there, however. They talked about school and friends and when they could next visit Aunt Hermione, Uncle Ron, Cousin Rose, and baby Henry. Everything was running smoothly, until Harry decided it was time to cut to the chase.

"Ginny, there's something I would like to talk to you about." Harry said seriously.

All movement slowed as Ginny gave Harry a confused, but curious look. James took turns eyeing each of his parents thoughtfully and eventually, returned to eating his syrup-drenched blueberry pancakes. Albus and Lily were too young and oblivious to notice the thick tension at the table.

"Sure, Harry. What about?" Ginny asked, slowly taking a sip of her coffee.

"I'd rather not say at the table." Harry replied, pointedly eyeing the children, hoping that she caught his drift.

"I see. We can talk after breakfast then." She said, sawing into a piece of her sausage, hoping that Harry couldn't see her nervousness.

She had a sinking feeling that she knew what Harry wanted to discuss with her. They had been arguing worse than ever lately. For the most part, they were able to camouflage their dislike of one another in the presence of the children. But as of late that had become harder and harder to do. If Harry's late arrival to bed was any indication, Ginny was sure that he was seeing someone else behind her back. While she couldn't blame him for it, seeing as she had done the same to him, she couldn't bring herself to believe that Harry would do something so low. Then again, she could say the same thing of herself.

Breakfast ended soon after and everyone helped clear the table. Harry refused to have house elves for two reasons. Firstly because Hermione would kill him. And secondly because he enjoyed the feeling of accomplishment he got when he finished a task on his own. He didn't know how his children felt about it, but it was the one thing he and Ginny agreed on when first discussing how their children would be raised. Molly Weasley was never one to have an elf do what she was certain she could do herself. She found it "utterly ridiculous and lazy", Harry remembered her telling him fondly. He helped the kids wash and put away the dishes, magically for their entertainment, and sent them all out to play. With a sigh, he slowly turned to face Ginny who was leaning on the kitchen counter, giving him a pensive stare. It was Ginny who finally broke the ice.

"What is it that you want to tell me Harry?" Ginny asked, afraid to hear the answer, but intrigued all the same.

Harry took a deep breath and took the plunge.

"As I'm sure you've noticed, things haven't been the same between us for quite some time now. We've been arguing more frequently, we don't get along, and we barely touch one another in bed at night." Harry said, unable to look at Ginny out of sheer nervousness. He didn't want to hurt her. That was the last thing he wanted to do. He wouldn't be able to bear the look on her face when he revealed his intentions.

"You've found someone else, haven't you?" Ginny interjected sadly.

She was staring at Harry with tears brimming her eyes and her arms folded about her chest, as if to guard her heart. She knew that she and Harry had fallen out of love, but she had always held out hope that one day they could fix things.

"What, Gin? No! That's not what's going on here at all." Harry stammered incredulously.

Harry wouldn't lie to himself, he had thought about it. It wasn't that he had no other options. He was the Golden Boy, for crying out loud. Women were throwing themselves at him left and right. But when he thought of the pain that it had caused him all those years ago to have someone you love give themselves to someone else in that way, Harry couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Then what is it, Harry?" Ginny asked, thoroughly confused now.

It took him a minute to gather his bearings, but after a few seconds passed, he sighed and looked at Ginny. He walked toward her, feeling that it would be better to closer to her just in case she needed the comfort. He may not love her anymore, but he would never stop caring.

"Ginny, I want a divorce." He said plainly. Once he saw the blank look on her face, he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and continued.

"I know I've said this before, but I can't bear to live this way any longer. We can both admit that we have fallen out of love, and although I care about you deeply, I want to be happy. I think that we both need to be happy." He finished, staring at Gin, awaiting her response.

A lone tear fell from Ginny's tender brown eyes and Harry's heart fell. He embraced her small frame, rubbing her back as she wet his shirt with her tears. After a few minutes of sitting in this position, Ginny lifted her head to look into Harry's eyes.

"You're right." She said with a sad smile. "We both deserve to be happy, especially you. I have never forgiven myself for what I did because it hurt you so deeply and I am sincerely sorry for that. Despite the fact that I don't love you in the same way that I used to, you are the father of my children and I care a great deal about you. I guess we've grown apart and now we realize that we aren't as made for each other as we initially thought."

They hadn't shared a moment this tender in Merlin knew how long. It's sad that it had to come to the point of separation before either of them could show how much they still meant to each other. Fifteen years of marriage was a hell of a long time to share a life with another person, but they both knew that they weren't right for each other anymore. Harry wiped the tears from Ginny's cheeks and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. Ginny's eyes fluttered closed, as she reveled in the feel of Harry's lips for the last time. With a sigh Harry pulled away from her and gave her a sad smile.

"The papers are upstairs." He said, walking to the backdoor, where his children innocently played just beyond. "They've already been filled out; I just need your signature."

Ginny gave a small nod and went to stand next to Harry near the door.

"They will always love you Harry." She reassured, knowing him well enough to read the expression on his face. "It will take them a little while to get used to, but they will forgive you and your relationship with them will go back to normal."

"I sincerely hope so." Harry said with a sigh.

* * *

Later that night, after everyone was showered, in their PJs, and tucked in, Ginny and Harry retired to their bedroom. Harry pulled the divorce papers from his bedside drawer and handed them to Ginny. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes, but she willed them away as she cast a spell, her signature magically appearing on each dotted line next to Harry's.


End file.
